ICC Convicts Germain Katanga of War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity; Acquits Him of Rape and Sexual Slavery

On March 7, 2014, the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced that Germain Katanga, a defendant charged with several counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity as part of the Situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was found guilty of as an accessory for one crime against humanity (murder) and four war crimes (murder, attacking a civilian population, destruction of property and pillaging) committed on 24 February 2003 during the attack on the village of Bogoro, in the Ituri district of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Katanga was acquitted of several counts including rape and sexual slavery as war crimes and crimes against humanity. A press release about the judgment is available on the ICC's website and a statement from NGO Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice provides further context regarding the gender and sexual-based charges of which Katanga was acquitted.